As you’ll no doubt be aware Apple is currently hosting an iPhone event at its Cupertino, Calif.-based home. Like all Apple events, proceedings started with an impressive figure -- Apple will ship its 700 millionth iOS device next month -- and then after a brief look at the free iTunes Festival, we got a recap of what the next version of Apple's mobile operating system has to offer us.
The Jony Ive designed iOS 7 has a flatter, functional design and the skeumorphism -- faux wooden bookshelves, green felt and the like -- is no more. The icons have been redesigned, the typeface changed, and there’s new pallet of colors. Siri has been massively improved too.
It’s the biggest change to the operating system since iOS first launched. Or as Craig Federighi, senior vice president of Software Engineering at Apple, claimed while demoing it: "Downloading iOS 7 is like getting an all-new device. One that's so much more useful and elegant than ever before".
We’ve all known iOS7 was coming, but what we didn’t know was exactly when and now we do. Apple will be pushing out the update on September 18 -- so just over a week away.
Will it be compatible with your iOS device? It depends how new it is. Apple says it will be available for iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini, and 5th gen iPod touch.